“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never tasted victory or defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Are you the person in the arena trying as hard as you can, or are you sitting on the sidelines observing others work hard?
Our tournament is in just three weeks. Now’s the time to make every class count. Show up, with your head held high and work as hard as you can. The payoff can be great if you give your training everything you’ve got.
Here are three things you can do in the next three weeks to ensure you compete at your very best on June 5th:
Listen to your instructors. We’ve all been on the competition floor many more times than we can count. We know how to prepare to compete well. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask. No question is a dumb question! In the meantime, pay attention to the feedback you are given. We have your best interests at heart.
Take good care of yourself. Your tournament preparation extends beyond the karate school floor. How you eat and the attention you pay to your sleep will impact how you feel on competition day. If you don’t eat well already, start making healthier food choices now, make sure you drink plenty of water and get enough sleep. Your body, mind and spirit will thank you.
Practice. Your performance is about more than just your actual form, breaking sequence or sparring match. In fact, this accounts for less than 10 minutes of the entire day! How you carry and present yourself when you walk into the gymnasium, your attitude about your teammates and your competitors, and your reaction to your performance or all an important part of your growth as a competitor. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be. Confidence breeds a positive attitude and good competitive spirit. And that’s what we’re all about at Leclerc’s Martial Arts.
Remember, as Master Leclerc always says, “You either win or you learn.” Regardless of the outcome on June 5th, you’ll have grown tremendously if you focus on improving your preparation. Get in the arena – right now – and devote yourself to you. In our book, this is a triumph no matter what.
